Want to lose weight? Eat in front of a mirror

ISLAMABAD: It turns out the long, sought-after key to weight loss may be right in front of your face. For eating in front of a mirror can promote a healthy diet, scientists suggest. They discovered people who ate unhealthy food, such as chocolate cake, while looking at their own reflection, were less likely to find the food satisfying and tasty.

Experts said the key lies in the fact people feel uncomfortable seeing themselves eat unhealthy treats. They become acutely aware that they should be eating a healthier option instead.

As a result, scientists suggest eating in front of a mirror can help reduce the consumption of unhealthy, junk food. Scientists revealed that eating unhealthy food – including chocolate cake – in front of a mirror causes the foods to be ‘less tasty’. A study found that looking in a mirror forces a person to think about their behaviors within the social standards of correctness.

As a result, people feel discomfort because they’re indulging rather than eating healthy foods Researchers found the taste of healthy food remains the same regardless of whether a mirror is present.

Lead scientist, Dr Ata Jami of the University of Central Florida, said: ‘A glance in the mirror tells people more than just about their physical appearance. ‘It enables them to view themselves objectively and helps them to judge themselves and their behaviors in a same way that they judge others.’ Scientists administered a taste test on 185 students at the university.

The students were asked to choose between a chocolate cake and a fruit salad. They then evaluated its taste in a room with a mirror or a room with no mirrors. Those who selected chocolate cake reported it to be ‘less tasty’ in the room with a mirror, as compared to those who ate the cake in the mirror-less room. A glance in the mirror tells people more than just about their physical appearance.

It enables them to view themselves objectively and helps them to judge themselves and their behaviors in a same way that they judge others Ends